As the World Ends
by xanaldy
Summary: Alexandria is gone, but the group moves on. In the search to find a place that they could call 'home,' an unlikely romance blossoms between Rick and Michonne. They discover that they are each other's support even in the most disastrous of times.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hello everyone! I've been watching The Walking Dead lately, and I'm fascinated by the relationship between Rick and Michonne. Yes, I do passionately ship them. Anyway, thank you for clicking my story and I hope you guys enjoy the first chapter! Read and review! Also, constructive criticism is always welcome!**

** As the World Ends**

**Chapter I**

She's dead. Somehow Rick knew she would be. He looked down at her mangled body. Blonde hair and pale skin stained with blood. She was around his age—maybe younger. He never bothered to ask. He felt his heart drop a little, the echo of it creeping through every vein in his body. He never knew much about her, except that she was married and had a love for owls. She was naïve about the world beyond the walls of Alexandria, and that type of innocence gripped him. It brought him back home temporarily.

Rick crouched down and took his knife from his belt. He angled it at the blonde's right temple. "I'm sorry, Jessie," he said softly, piercing her skull with the knife.

There was nothing left in Alexandria anymore. Rick and his group could not stop the attack. The people who attacked had guns, lots of them. With no guilt and no mercy, they killed any innocent that stood in their way. A herd had followed them. Some individuals took a chance and opened the gate only to be ripped apart limb by limb. This only made things worse, creating more chaos.

There was nothing to go back to.

There was an eerie silence as Rick walked through the forest. He stopped, seeing Michonne standing at a distance. He walked towards her, each step feeling as if the silence would conquer him. He stood behind her a moment and then lightly touched her shoulder.

"We checked every corner," he said to her. "Everyone either turned or died."

She turned to him. "I know," she said, looking down. There was sadness in her voice. "Are they okay? Our group, I mean."

"For the most part, yeah." Rick looked at her. He knew how much Michonne wanted Alexandria to work out for them. She wanted stability. She wanted a place to call home. For some reason, he could feel that sudden emptiness—that feeling of when something is taken from you. He knew it left a void. Just how many voids did Michonne have? He wanted to know—he always wanted to know.

"I thought we could protect it and call it home," Michonne said.

"I know."

"Carl and Judith needed something like Alexandria."

She was right. Carl and Judith needed Alexandria. They would be away from the danger that was out there. No more running. No more scavenging. No more looking for water on a blazing summer's day. Everything would be normal if only for a while.

"We're gonna survive again," Rick said. "We're gonna survive through every shit obstacle this world throws at us."

The corners of Michonne's lips curved a little.

"I believe you, Rick Grimes."


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello everyone! Thank you for all the reviews and follows. Because of all of you, I get motivated to write. Here's the second chapter! Enjoy! Constructive criticism is always appreciated.**

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**As the World Ends**

**Chapter 2**

Michonne's mind was a prison. She locked memories and emotions in cages that could never be broken into. She had the keys, but chose not to free them. For her, it was a form of protection. It helped her focus on the world that was in front of her, the current situation. She held a deep pride in her ability to seal off. She discovered that it kept her sane.

The rotting smell of the dead lingered in the air. Michonne could feel them coming towards her. She held her katana in one hand, waiting and watching. The noise of clumsy footsteps mixed in with the rustling of leaves and branches came from all around her. Soon the walking dead emerged. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Michonne began to stab and behead every walker that came at her. Adrenaline rushed through every vein in her body. A deep fire burned inside. At this moment, there was no Andre haunting her. Alexandria would still be there. Carl and Judith would be forever safe. Rick would still be sane. She found herself thinking about him more now. During their time in Alexandria there was a disconnection between her and him. They understood each other less and saw each other less. She wasn't sure what had caused it.

She breathed heavily. "I needed this," she said to herself, quietly. Blood, limbs and heads circled around her.

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The group was exhausted. They circled around a small fire they had built out of fallen tree branches. It was warm and provided small relief to a disastrous day. Loss could never be avoided, especially in the world they lived in now. To deal with loss, one must face it and that was something the group had learned to do on multiple occasions. There was no running away when it came to loss.

Rick twirled his ring around his finger and stared at the fire. Reflections of flames in his blue eyes. Alexandria, their safe haven, was gone. Nothing could bring it back. The sudden realization of what the group—of what he had lost—plagued his mind. What was lost could never be returned. Lori's never coming back. She's dead. Gone. The world as it was now destroyed every piece of her, but she was still in his memory, constantly haunting his thoughts. He saw her in Jessie. He thought he had gotten past Lori. After Jessie, however, he realized that the memory of her was kept alive and well. She lurked even in the darkest corners of his mind. He was seeing her again, talking to her.

Rick's body ached as he stood up. "I'm gonna go take a walk."

Daryl looked up at him and nodded. Everyone else was silent.

He stopped near a small road near the edge of forest and looked up at the sky. The rustling of bushes was heard nearby. He placed his hand on his hip, slowly reaching for his knife.

"I thought you might need some company," said a familiar voice.

"Well, I don't think I do," he said, turning around. Michonne stood there with her arms crossed.

"Something's wrong," she said, stepping closer to him.

"I'm fine."

"No," she said, sternly, "you're not."

"I've just been thinking," Rick said, running his fingers through his hair.

"About what?"

Silence. Rick looked up at the sky again.

"I don't think I'm okay," he finally said. "I think I'm losin' it again. I'm seein' her again. I'm talkin' to her again."

"Rick…"

"How am I supposed to keep this group alive if I'm like this?" he said, pointing towards the direction where the group had built the fire.

"You can bring yourself back," Michonne said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You'll always do, Rick. You—"

Glen came out of the bushes, huffing and puffing.

"There's a herd of walkers coming are way. We have to go."

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**This story is starting a little slow, but I promise it will start to pick up. Also, I haven't written for the longest time, so my writing is rusty :/**


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